Republicans: Border security a ‘litmus test’ for immigration bill

A closed-door meeting of over 100 Senate and House conservatives Wednesday afternoon on immigration reform made at least one thing clear: Republicans don’t want to do anything before nailing down the border security issue.

Marco Rubio : Immigration bill short votes

Rubio said efforts like an amendment from Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), which would replace the entire section devoted to border security, would not only add Republican support, but also help convince Democrats who are undecided on the Gang of Eight bill.

“Bottom line is there is a vibrant debate going on in the Republican Party,” Rubio told reporters. “I can tell you that the way the bill is currently structured it’s not going to pass in the House.

“Just so you all recall, one of the reasons why I was asked to join the effort is to help bring Republicans on board, and that’s what I’m trying to do with Republicans and conservatives,” he said. “But I think Democrats too.”

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who has been shopping around an amendment that would require Congress to vote on whether the border is sufficiently secured, said conservatives are “very worried” about plans to legalize the undocumented without adequate border security in place first.

“It’s been a big key for conservatives all along who felt like we didn’t get treated right in 1986 when we passed the last immigration reform bill,” Paul said.

“I want to see border security front and center,” said Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), chairman of the Republican Study Committee. “And then you work on other areas.”

Attendees at the Republican Study Committee meeting included Rubio and Flake, along with fellow GOP Sens. Paul, Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas, Jeff Sessions of Alabama to talk immigration.

House Republicans including Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, Lamar Smith of Texas, Raul Labrador of Idaho, Trey Gowdy of South Carolina and Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul of Texas discussed the lower chamber’s efforts on immigration, according to members present.

“I think it’s very clear that the House will not take the Senate bill,” Goodlatte said after the meeting. “There is an effort on the part of those senators to improve this bill as it moves to the floor, but it has a long way to go, from the House perspective.”

Other Republicans leaving the meeting said they could not support the Senate’s bill in its current form. Several also said they favored the piecemeal approach to reform advocated by Goodlatte.

Gowdy plans Wednesday to roll out a bill focused on interior enforcement. Gowdy, chairman of the House subcommittee covering immigration, said the bill would cover issues such as deporting undocumented immigrants and visa overstays. House Republicans have already introduced legislation on an agricultural worker program and a bill dealing with E-Verify.

Flake refuted claims that conservatives were trying to unravel the Gang of Eight bill and the group itself.

“The House side is controlled by Republicans,” he said. “If you want a bill to pass for the president to sign, it’s got to have Republican support. The bill that we have in the Senate needs to be strengthened on the border security elements.”